3 reasons why systems, routines, and a process is more important than setting goals!
I’ll just come out and say:
The way you (and everyone else) have been taught to set goals is causing you not to achieve them!
I know that’s a bit harsh but let me explain.
Your results have very little to do with your goals. You can set a goal that feels very achievable and still not achieve it.
How often has that happened to you?
The reason why is that goals are only the target of where you want to go. They’re focused on the destination – tomorrow.
But just knowing where you want to go isn’t enough. You need to have a plan or roadmap of how to get there. And follow it until you get there.
The how is what we’ll call the system, routine, or process. These tell you what you need to do every day to get there. The actions you need to take to achieve the goal. They’re focused on the present – today.
And that’s why you don’t actually need to get better at setting goals.
Instead, you need to create a simple system that you can follow every single day. And by focusing on today and accomplishing just that task, in time, you’ll accomplish your goal as a byproduct.
Here are three reasons why systems, routines, and a process is more important than setting goals:
1. You don’t have control over your goals; you can control your routine.
As much as you may want to force your body into losing weight, unfortunately you can’t control the number that shows up on the scale. But, what you can control is your effort. How well and consistently you follow your routine.
And even if you don’t achieve your goal in the set amount of time you’ve given yourself, you will have made fantastic progress as a byproduct of your routine.
2. Goals create short-term change; routines create life-long change.
Think of New Year’s Resolutions. How many people do you know, maybe you’ve even done this yourself, where they set the same resolution each year. They follow it for a few weeks or a month and then fall off track only to repeat the same resolution the following year.
Once again, this is due to them focusing on their goal, not their routine.
3. Goals delay happiness; routines don’t.
This is generally the biggest revelation with goals vs systems/routines. How many times have you said “I’ll finally love the way that I look after I lose 30lbs.”
With this mentality, you’re always left chasing after happiness. And because your focus is on your goals instead of systems, you unfortunately don’t achieve your goals leaving you unhappy.
A routine-first mentality shifts this thinking allowing you to enjoy the journey. Fall in love with the progress along the way and this will keep you on track to hit your goals and hold onto them forever.
Because of the importance of focusing on routines instead of goals, that’s the entire structure of our brand new, Menopause Transformation Program.
Each week, you’re given 3 simple habits to master. An exercise, nutrition, and mindset habit.
As the weeks progress, so do you, making progress every step of the way. You get to enjoy the journey as you build these new lifelong habits and, at the end, you finally get to achieve your ultimate goal.
And you achieve it, ironically enough, by not focusing on it. But by consistently doing the things each day that you need to do.
Whether you’re currently working towards your goals or, you’re in the process of setting new goals, use this framework to help make this the time that you finally achieve it.
Dedicated to your success,
Ben Miknis
